My heart advice for those responsible for an abortion

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A woman who did abortion and anybody responsible for an abortion (including men or anybody who advised her/supported her/forced her), should do the following:
 
1) accept responsibility for the act and consider it was murder,
2) stop finding excuses of any kind,
3) regret it and apologize to the child you aborted
4) make offerings to Amida Buddha in the name of the aborted child or children you are responsible for and wish that they find peace wherever they are, be well, receive whatever they need, have their obstacles removed, make indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, entrust to Him, say His Name in faith and wish to be born in His Pure Land.

Offerings of any kind can also be made constantly in the name of the aborted children to poor people, the sick and anybody in need. Also, saving lives in the name of the aborted children (including blood donation to hospitals) is extremely beneficial.

I also advise that brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles of the aborted children, as well as anybody in the family, also make offerings in their name. The aborted children must be considered as members of the family (brothers, sisters, nephews) and treated just like one would treat an ancestor.

The family may also sponsor teaching sessions or the printing of Buddhist books in the name of the aborted children.

Even those who don't believe in Buddhism should do constant offerings of food, medicine, shelter, money and save lives in the name of the aborted children in their family and treat them as relatives.
Also, nobody should never, ever, advise somebody to do abortion or find any excuse for such acts.
If you do the above constantly and with sincerity, the spirits of the aborted children can be pacified and their minds be turned towards liberation. They might also transform themselves from enemies into friends and even protectors.

This is a simple teaching that spontaneously appeared in my mind while saying Nembutsu and it is based on the Compassionate Dharma of the Buddhas. I felt that I cannot have any peace nor do anything else unless I share it with you. Please do as instructed.
Namo Amida Bu 

The inexcusable gesture of the Dalai Lama trying to tongue kiss a boy

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I have never imagined that one day I will write something against the Dalai Lama, and believe me that I find no joy doing it now. Whenever I heard somebody criticizing him I used to point out his good parts, especially his contribution to the salvation of the Tibetan schools in exile, the printing and spreading of various useful books, etc. However, what I saw today shocked me and disgusted me so much that I realized keeping silence would make me an accomplice to something terribly evil.

 

Here is what happened! Please watch this video carefully for at least ten times, as I myself did,

 

 

 Yes, dear friends, the Dalai Lama is kissing a child on his mouth, then he says “suck my tongue” and approaches him in a perverse manner with his tongue out of his mouth!

Do NOT make publicity to nonBuddhist gods and spirits

Being respectful towards our nonBuddhist neighbours and friends does NOT mean that we should pray to or promote nonBuddhist gods. As Pure Land Buddhists we should promote only Amida Buddha and encourage people to entrust only to Amida Buddha. By making publicity to or promoting nonBuddhist gods and spirits you create the evil karma of offering false teachings to sentient beings. I very much dislike how fake Buddhists post images (and even praises) of nonBuddhist gods and spirits on various nonBuddhists celebrations, including Christmas, Easter and even pre-Christian holidays. Remember, respect does NOT mean promotion! Respect means working together with your neighbors, helping them in times of need, etc.

Promoting the images of their gods and spirits is a mistake, not a sign of respect. Pull yourselves together and stop being stupid when you try to be nice.

On sangha, politics and the hypocrisy of modern Buddhists in the Last Dharma Age

 

Click here to watch more videos in the DHARMA TALK playlist. There are more than 130 videos there until now, so you'll certainly find one that is useful to you. 

Nembutsu and daily life

 

last revised February 16th, 2023

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

“If we only put our trust in Amida’s Primal Vow, there is no doubt whatever about our future destiny, but what are we to do with the present world?’

‘Well, the thing to do is to make the Nembutsu practice the chief thing in life, and to lay aside everything that you think may interfere with it. If you cannot stay in one spot and do it, then do it when you are walking. If you cannot do it as a priest, then do it as a layman. If you cannot do it alone, then do it in the company of others. If you cannot do it and at the same time provide yourself with food and clothing, then accept the help of others and go on doing it. Or if you cannot get others to help you, then look after yourself but keep on doing it. Your wife and children and domestics are for this very purpose, of helping you to practice it, and if they prove an obstacle, you ought not to have any. Friends and property are good, if they too prove helpful, but if they prove a hindrance they should be given up. In short, there is nothing that may not help us to Ojo, so long as it helps us to go on the even tenor of our way through life undisturbed.’”[1] 

Commentary:

The goal of Buddhism is not to attain happiness here and now which is actually impossible as samsara itself is the karmic effect of our own blind passions and ignorance. However, this doesn’t mean that we should neglect our basic needs. Amida devotees also eat, drink, seek shelter, comfort and good company, they get married, have children, property, etc. There is no problem with this. What Honen Shonin advised us is to use all the aspects of our life as support for the Nembutsu Path. The Primal Vow of Amida does not require asceticism, but only the Nembutsu of faith, so try to arrange your personal life in such a way that you be able to walk the Path of Nembutsu. 

Soldiers are saved by Amida Buddha if they entrust to Him - Honen Shonin's instructions to Samurai Taro Tadatsuma Amakasu

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Selected passages from Honen Shonin 

with commentary

In the province of Musashi there lived a samurai called Taro Tadatsuna Amakasu, who belonged to the Inomata clan and was in the service of the Minamoto family. He was also a devout Nembutsu follower of Honen Shonin. At that time there was a conflict with the monk armies of Mount Hiei who took their stand at the Hiyosho Hachioji shrine. Tadatsuna was put by Imperial command in charge of a body of troops to suppress the uprising. Before going to battle he paid a visit to Honen and said to him: 

“I have often heard you say that even sinners like us, if they will only say the Nembutsu, and put their whole trust in Amida’s Primal Vow, will undoubtedly attain Ojo (birth in the Pure Land). This has made a deep impression upon me, but I suppose it is the case only with those who are lying on a sick bed and calmly waiting for the end to come. But as for myself, being a samurai, I cannot do just as I would like, and now in obedience to an imperial order, I am setting out for the castle at Hachioji to chastise those obstreperous priests of Sammon. I was born in a soldier’s family and trained in the use of the bow and arrow, being on the one hand under obligation not to fail in carrying out at least in some measure the will of my ancestors, and on the other responsible for handling down something of glory to my posterity. And yet if, as a soldier, I abandon myself to the driving back of the enemy, all sorts of wicked and furious passions are likely to be stirred within me, and it becomes very hard to awaken any pious feeling in my heart. If, indeed, I should allow myself to keep thinking all the time about the transitoriness of life, and trying not to forget the truth about attaining Ojo by the Nembutsu, I should be in danger of being taken captive by my enemies, and thereby be eternally branded as a coward, straightway have all my patrimony confiscated, and so for a fool like me it is very hard to decide which of these courses to choose. Will you not tell me how I may accomplish my cherished desire for Ojo, without on the other hand sacrificing the honor of my family as an archer?” 

Advice to a Buddhist wife persecuted for her faith (video)

 

You can find more video teachings on the playlist DHARMA TALKS in my YouTube channel.

A question on Buddhism, violence and arms

Kennyo Shonin, our 11th warrior Patriarch
after Shinran, wearing a battle flag with three types 
of Nembutsu. This photo is dedicated to
all fake Buddhists who hide their cowardice
 and heresies behind sweet peaceful words

  Recently I have received many questions on the topic of   violence and arms and I thought to give a public  answer to one of them. 

 Question: Is violence justified? Are there situations when   Buddhists can and should react violently? How about Buddhists   carrying arms? 

 My answer: I will give you a sad answer. I don’t like to give   such answers but I must do it. Yes, sometimes violence and arms  can be used and must be used. We are not Buddhas who are  beyond harm and live freely in both mind and body or any   manifestations they assume for the sake of saving and guiding   us. They can endure anything because they are beyond   suffering.  More than this, they can even make their body   manifestations indestructible. Just look at the example of   Padmasambhava who could not be burned or killed by any   means.

 However, we are ordinary beings living in samsara. We identify   ourselves with our delusory bodies and our dear ones. Most   importantly, we need freedom and liberties to follow and spread   the Dharma. We invented states and laws to protect these rights   and liberties and in the past many shed their blood to do so.   Surely, if Hitler and the Nazis were not stopped violently we   could not practice Buddha Dharma freely into our own   countries. The insanity of the Nazi regime with the racial   motivated killings needed to be stopped. Life in human form is   extremely precious and we could not allow and should never   allow anybody, be it a single person or a government to destroy   it or take its freedoms and advantages. Governments and   politicians are nothing else but our employees who were given   the mandate of administering the common resources and protect   the rights and liberties. These rights and liberties are NOT   given by governments but naturally possessed by us since we   were born. They are written in the natural way of things and the  role of any government is to protect them and assure an environment in which we can live naturally each according to his/her own conscience. However, when a government goes against the people who is supposed to serve and starts disrespecting their rights and liberties then that government breaks the social contract and it deserves to fall either peacefully or violently if they don’t want to go peacefully. This is common sense. You don’t need to be a Buddhist to understand this simple logic. And if you are a Buddhist you should not deny it like you are some kind of detached Buddha in human form. In samsara you need suitable samsaric environments to promote the Dharma. As Shinran said: 

On the Buddhist meaning of marriage and the role of husband and wife

Photo from the first wedding ceremony
officiated at Amidaji temple

 click here to read the Spanish version

It is the way of Amidaji to always ask the Dharma in both the most important aspect of the afterlife as well as the details of our daily life. In this case we want to know what the Dharma has to say about marriage, so we will listen to the teachings that Shakyamuni Buddha gave to couples (men and women).

The woman should pay attention and contemplate what He said about the duties of a good wife and the man should pay attention and contemplate the duties of a husband. 

The followers of our tradition should empty their cup (mind) of modernist and worldly ideologies and listen deeply to the Buddha’s teaching. To those who argue that such teachings on couples should be changed and adapted to our so-called “modern times” and “modern views” I say that the reason we have so many marriage problems, broken couples, destroyed families and neglected children nowadays is especially because such teachings and instructions are not carefully observed anymore. It is because men are not willing to assume the role and duties of husbands and women are not capable to assume the role and duties of good wives.

The first Jodo Shinshu Buddhist wedding ceremony was officiated at Amidaji

The happy couple - Myoko Adelina
and Monshin Sorinel

 The first wedding was officiated at Amidaji temple on Sunday October 18th, after the couple   attended a three day Nembutsu retreat.

 Here are some photos and explanations. 

 The service started with a short Nembutsu recitation followed by the Three   Invitations when we invited Amida, Shakyamuni and all Buddhas to enter the   Amidado (Hall of Amida) and spread petals of roses to welcome them. 

 Then we continued with the Nembutsu liturgy of our temple with the couple   making oshoko (offering incense), bowing towards the altar and to each  other,  saying their vows and drinking together bitter tea from the same cup. 

Conditions for marriage ceremonies at Amidaji temple

 fragment from Amidaji Constitution  

Marriage ceremonies can be held at Amidaji temples on the following conditions[1]:

     a)    Only between biologically born men and women (see the important note bellow). Amidaji temple recognizes the natural differences between biologically born men and biologically born women, as Shakyamuni Buddha himself addressed to His disciples as (biologically born) men and (biologically born) women when He gave advice to couples. He never gave advices to couples who were not (biologically born) men and (biologically born) women, which means that we too cannot recognize such people as couples to be married. This is also why any sexual or gender ideology which tends to disregard such natural and biological differences between men and women, like for example, the ideas that sexual identity is something that can be chosen without regard to one's biology (without regard to the fact that one was born a man or a woman), will not be promoted by Amidaji temple and its representatives, priests and teachers. 

If you have a question, ask the Dharma

It is the way of Amidaji to always ask the Dharma in both the most important aspect of the afterlife as well as the details of our daily life.

Do you want to understand samsara? Contemplate the Dharma texts which describe the various sufferings of samsaric existence.

Do you want to escape samsara? Contemplate the teachings of Shakyamuni and the Masters of our lineage on the salvation offered by Amida Buddha and never forget the simple requirements from His Primal Vow, “entrust to me, say my Name and wish to be born in my land”.

Do you want to know about Amida and His Pure Land? Do not ask deluded scholars and priests who complicate their minds and others with difficult theories and who cannot accept the real existence of  Amida and the Pure Land. Better ask Shakyamuni and read the testimony of Ananda and all those present on Vulture Peak when the Larger Sutra was taught, who actually saw Amida and His Pure Land with their very eyes! 

All lives matter! Amidaji does NOT take a knee to racist movements

As I saw a lot of unwise statements made by various Buddhist priests and centers, including Buddhist Churches of America, in the support of the racist movement called "Black Lives Matters" while they say absolutely nothing about the violence and killings made under this slogan in many American cities, and because Amidaji has many readers and supporters in USA,  I decided to publish here what I already stated on my Facebook Page.